Efficacy of the gluten free diet in the management of functional gastrointestinal disorders: a systematic review on behalf of the Italian Society of Paediatrics

Background Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are characterized by chronic/recurrent gastrointestinal symptoms not related to organic disorders. Due to the limited treatment options and to the perception of subjects with FGIDs suffering from a food intolerance, in recent years there has been an increase in the self-prescription of elimination diets, especially gluten free diet (GFD), for the treatment of these disorders. For this reason, we decided to perform this systematic review with the aim to evaluate the available evidence on the effects of a GFD on gastrointestinal symptoms, in subjects with FGIDs.